Asch the Groom
by alonesearcher
Summary: Natalia needs Asch to pick a best man. If only the choices didn't make him so angry. (potential spoilers if you haven't finished the game) (also fixed the code problem, sorry!)


**AN: Sorry about the messed up code before, thank you to the people that commented and brought it to my attention. _**

Asch could feel that old, familiar anger rising inside of him. It was comforting in the face of any fear he felt. He could push back that fear and wrap the anger around him like a protective coat. It was a good defense, and sometimes his only defense, against his angry fiancé.

Natalia Luzu Kimlasca-Lanvaldear may have been born as a normal girl, but she was a proud noble to her core. Standing in the face of that conviction was something Asch secretly found intimidating, but his own noble pride forced him to stand his ground whether or not he actually cared what they were arguing about or not.

"The wedding is mere days away Asch, _days_! I need you to choose a best man so we can properly prepare the ceremony," Natalia crossed her arms and stared down her nose at him. "Do you have any idea how important a decision this is?"

"Shut up! It's not important at all!" Asch fired back, crossing his arms in response. "I don't need a best man. I don't like anyone here."

"Everyone you know is in town for the ceremony," Natalia reminded him haughtily. "And furthermore it is a very important decision. I need to know who to sit at what table, and who to speak to about the rings, and who to give instruction to about the ceremony that the best man is a huge part of!" Her face softened slightly, in a way which made Asch's shield lower more than he'd like to admit. "What about Luke, Guy, or Jade? They all care about you, in their own way."

Asch grimaced visibly at the idea of asking any of them to be his best man, but Natalia had a way of wearing him down. "Fine already! I'll ask someone, it doesn't matter who right?"

"Thank you," Natalia smiled, looking relieved.

He turned away, embarrassed. "I'm leaving now!" He announced this as he was already heading towards the door. "I still think it's pointless to ask any of them for something like this, they're going to make things more difficult!" He shut the door hard in annoyance, but he could hear Natalia had already gone back to address her maid about the ceremony.

Outside the door was Tear and Anise, standing there and staring at him. "What the hell are you two doing here!?" He demanded.

Tear shifted her weight as she cradled her elbows. "You two were still talking, so we thought it would be best to wait out here… we weren't eavesdropping or anything…"

He growled at that.

"Oh scary!" Anise waved him off coyly, in a way that made his blood pressure rise. "You shouldn't stress poor Natalia so much Asch, she's putting a lot of hard work into this for your sake too you know."

He gritted his teeth. "Like I need you to tell me something pointless like that!" He moved briskly past them.

"Wait Asch!" Tear called out, causing him to halt. "Would you… would you consider asking Luke?"

Asch bristled and walked haughtily away, yelling as he went. "Like hell I will!" Anise's amused laughter followed after him.

Luke was definitely off the table. There was no way in Lorelei's name he was ever going to ask him for anything. He didn't hate the idea of asking Guy to stand up with him, but even though Guy had seemed to be working through his feelings of the past Asch wasn't sure he was willing to test that. But since the God-Generals were all dead or Dist, that left him with one man currently in Baticul that he knew.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Jade drawled in his honey coated voice. Asch had found him in his Majesties library, researching every last piece of information that had been compiled about the city.

"Natalia wants you to help tie flower bouquets," Asch lied.

Jade raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "I'm afraid my old fingers don't have the dexterity of my youth. I would only slow everything down, and I would hate to be a burden."

Asch frowned harder. "What are you doing?"

Jade set down his book. "I'm gathering knowledge of course. I rarely find myself with the time to peruse the tomes here for luxury. Since I took this trip to see you tie the knot, I thought I'd take the opportunity. Do you want to… sit and talk?"

"No," Asch turned away. "Natalia needs a best man for the wedding."

"You haven't asked Luke?"

"Why the hell…?!" Asch turned to explode, but upon seeing Jade's knowing expression he bit off the sentence. "I'm asking you."

"Asch! I'm so flattered," Jade laughed, infuriating him. "But are you really going to make this old man stand through that entire ceremony? Surely you understand. I think you should consider asking Luke though. He'd be thrilled."

He gritted his teeth, storming out of the room. "I'd rather throw myself into the Mt. Zaleho!" Jade chuckled as he turned back to his book. He'd already seen half of Natalia's friends today and the ensuing headache was enough to reassure him that hating them all was the right decision on his part.

He found Guy sitting on a flower wall, watching over his elderly companion as he checked on the flowers he'd once tended in Duke Fabre's manor. Asch had managed to avoid another meeting with his doting mother, whose happiness over the wedding could only be taken in small doses. Asch could never be harsh with her, so instead avoidance was the best solution to that problem. God he was becoming soft. Luckily Luke was nowhere to be seen.

Guy was aware of his approach before he'd gotten far. Whether or not he cared for them, Natalia's friends were competent fighters. That or Asch was getting careless.

As Pere puttered next to him Guy waved welcomingly at Asch, a marginal improvement over his previous disdain at the sight of him. Maybe this could work. "We invited you here to attend the wedding, not so that you could go back to work."

Pere gave a throaty chuckle in response. "When you spend a lot of time with something like this, you tend to grow attached. I'm only checking on them."

Guy was dressed casually, despite his status as a Malkuth noble. He leaned back, relaxed. "Hey, are you starting to get nervous?"

"Wouldn't you?" Asch gripped the hilt of his sword. "Natalia is working too hard on this thing. She wants me to choose a best man."

"Sorry, Luke isn't here," Guy pointed towards the water. "I think he was going to help unload some shipment from Chesedonia. He should be back shortly if you want to wait."

Asch could feel his temperature rising. "Why should I have to ask him?!" He tightened his grip on his sword. "One of us in the wedding is enough."

Guy stared at him for a long moment. "Ah I see."

"Do you want to do it?" Asch blurted out, coming off irritated.

His eyes widened in surprise as Pere turned to show Asch his shocked expression. Guy lowered his gaze, giving a soft smile. "Me huh?"

Asch whirled around so he wouldn't have to look at the Malkuth citizens as they recovered their composure. "You don't have to. Natalia won't get off my damn back about it."

"No it's not that," Guy assured, standing up as he scratched his head. "I… I was asked to stand with Emperor Peony at the ceremony, to help take care of Luke. Er," Guy laughed. "Luke the Rapig, not the guy."

Asch scoffed. "Of course, don't worry about it." He raked a hand through his hair. "Damn it, I can't stand the thought of asking that dreck for shit. I'll just tell Natalia to pick someone." He went to storm out, but Guy grabbed his shoulder. Asch fought the reflex to jerk away. "What?!"

"You know Asch, if it really doesn't matter to you, ask Luke. He'll say yes. It would mean a lot to him, cause he really does care about you," Guy tightened his grip on Asch's shoulder. "And it meant a lot to me that you asked me."

Asch flushed, turning quickly to leave. "Shut up!" He called over his shoulder. "Don't tell me what to do dammit!"

"Useless dreck!" Asch called out as he approached the dock. Luke turned his head automatically at his call, as if the term had become something he solely associated with himself.

Luke's smile was welcoming in a way that made Asch sick to his stomach. Damn it, if he didn't love Natalia so much he wouldn't have to endure this hell. Luke quickly dropped the crate he was carrying on the dolly, exchanging a few words with the foreman before walking over to where Asch was leaning against the wall. "Hi Asch, how is everything going?"

Asch grumbled at his genuinely happy face. "Fine. What the hell are you doing?"

"Helping unload some of the shipments coming in, since a lot of the dock workers are shorthanded preparing for the wedding," indeed Asch could see sweat on Luke's smiling face. "Are you here to help?"

"No," Asch couldn't help feel annoyed at every helpful and cheerful thing Luke did. Still, it was a marginal improvement to the way he was in the past. "I came to ask you something." He wondered if he could force out the request.

"Thanks for all your help today Luke!" Someone called at Asch, pissing him off.

He glared at Luke. "Cut your damn hair again!"

Luke smiled, touching his hair as if he'd forgotten it was there. "Ah, sorry."

Asch swallowed the reflex to tell him not to apologize. It was not easy to get Luke riled up anymore, in fact he was annoyingly happy to be alive.

No point in putting it off any longer. "Natalia needs you to be the best man in the wedding." Luke's face went blank. His expression of shock lingered long enough that Asch had time to fantasize about throwing him bodily into the water. "No one is going to force you, idiot." Asch was beginning to wish he could go on a rampage; his nerves had been tested too much.

"Ah, no it's not that," Luke smiled, shifting his weight. "I was just surprised. I would be honored to be your best man."

Asch glowered, not sure if he was angry that Luke had agreed, or relieved. "Natalia will undoubtedly give you a million things to do later. Don't you have work to be doing?"

"Oh yeah," Luke glanced back at the dock workers. "Well if you need anything from me…"

"I don't!" Asch snapped.

Luke shrugged, Asch's anger sliding off him. He'd been like that for a while now, though Asch wasn't as angry as he used to be (baring today of course). Asch watched him happily return to work. It was strange to compare who he used to be to who he was now. Both pissed him off in their own ways, but doing anything to invite that saccharine smile got on his nerves.

He thought about how somehow it felt like it was inevitable that he would end up with Luke as his best man, as he made his way back to the castle. Luke's friends invariably tried to influence their relationship in a positive direction, for Luke's sake or not he wasn't sure. Having Luke stand beside him was aggravating, but in a way fitting.

He didn't have to admit that to anyone though.


End file.
